Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 vs the HTC EVO View vs the LG Optimus Pad

The tablet market today has spoiled the average user with too many options. With so many different tablets to choose from, the average person is most likely confused on what to buy and what not to buy. If you are considering buying a tablet this year, we want to help you make the right choice. We here at Android Authority have brought you an exhaustive feature by feature comparison between three of the most competitive tablets coming to market soon. The HTC Flyer, also dubbed the HTC EVO View 4G for Sprint, is slated for release this summer, with Samsung ‘s offerings hitting the market on 8th June. LG has started with advance orders in Japan and will soon be doing so in other countries.

Operating System

The HTC tablet loses the first point by using Android 2.4, which was designed for use on phones, while both the Samsung and LG tabs come preloaded with Android 3.0 Honeycomb. The latter is tailor made for tablets. HTC has decided to gamble by using the older version. By taking this step, HTC will undoubtedly alienate itself among tech savvy users who would obviously love to play with the latest Android OS, Honeycomb. HTC will use its Sense UI interface in the EVO View. Some would argue that HTC’s move might be planned to attract more attention towards its interface. Even though HTC has planned a post launch upgrade to Honeycomb, their initial move might be enough to lose customers.

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Processor

HTC again loses a point. The LG tablet comes with an Nvidia Tegra 2 dual core 1 Ghz processor, which is quite fast and is essentially the standard fare of most Android 3.0 tablets these days. Samsung has changed things up a bit, and while it still has a 1Ghz dual c ore processor, we are not sure of the particularities. The tablet they demoed a few months back featured an Nvidia Tegra 2, but with this latest news, we aren’t entirely sure what is inside. HTC, on the other hand, uses a single core Qualcomm 1.5 Ghz Snapdragon processor, which in its own right is speedy, but nowhere near as powerful as the Tegra 2 dual core 1 Ghz, especially when it comes to multitasking.

Display/Screen

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 will come with a 10.1 inch, using Samsung’s PLS display tech, with a screen resolution of 1280X800. Apparently, this particular display technology is incredibly bright, and also has great viewing angles too. The LG Optimus Pad comes with a smaller 8.9 inch screen with a resolution of 1280X768, while the HTC EVO View comes with the smallest screen of the bunch, at 7 inches. The EVO View’s screen also comes with a lower resolution of 1024X600. HTC’s move might be to target a user base which requires compact tablets for everyday use, and would certainly make the it easier to carry and use.

Camera(s)

All of the tablets in this comparison come with dual camera to enable the user to video chat to record videos and take pictures. Really, while not necessary, they are certainly nice to have. The resolution of the camera though varies from model to model. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 comes with an 3MP camera at the rear and a smaller 2MP camera in front. The LG Optimus commands a strong lead here, with dual 5MP cameras at the back, and a 2MP camera in the front. Further to this, it also has 1080p 2D video recording. The HTC EVO View, unfortunately, loses another point by going for a 1.3MP camera in the front, with the camera at the back being a good 5MP. All of these cameras come with auto-focus and LED Flash.

Optimus Pad

Network support

With 4G/HSPA/LTE technology becoming mainstream, the network support features of a tablet becomes very important. The Samsung Galaxy Tab is a clear winner here, with network support for HSPA+. the LG Optimus Pad is a step behind with HSDPA support and the HTC EVO 4G, while fast, loses another point with HSPA network support.

Memory

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 comes with an option of either 16 GB , 32GB or 64GB of on-board memory. The LG Optimus will come with 32 GB of memory and the same for the HTC EVO View. All three tablets will support a microSD card of up to 32GB allowing users to expand memory if they so choose.

Galaxy tab 10.1

Connectivity

The HTC EVO View: lightning quick Bluetooth 3.0 with stereo headset capability, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, USB 2.0, and a 3.5mm general audio jack. There is one internal antenna for GPS functionality as well.

Weight

While not the most important consideration when buying a tablet, it still ranks quite high for most people. Thankfully, none of these tablets are going to be at all cumbersome. If portability matters most, than the HTC EVO View will likely be the best choice, weighing in at a svelte 415 grams. Between the weights of the LG and the Samsung, despite the LG being smaller, it is still heavier at 654gm compared to weight of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 at 599gm.

LG Optimus Pad

Other features

The HTC tablet lacks a gyrometer and an accelerometer, while HTC and LG both lack a proximity sensor. HTC, by choosing a more established version of Android, will also enable its tablet to have access to many more games than the others mentioned in this comparison. The LG Optimus Pad comes with 3D recording and playback features, and is, in fact, one of the first tabs to introduce this feature. HTC has included Flash 10.1 and HTML 5 for better browsing. While all of the other tablets support Flash and HTML 5, the HTC Flyer/EVO View is the only one to support the use of a stylus, which should make it more attractive to business users.

The Lowdown

It is clear that the HTC tab loses to the Galaxy and Optimus Pad, for not only does it have a small screen and lower resolution, but also uses a single core processor which is a little dated now. HTC’s gamble to go for a version of Android designed for phones is also likely to backfire, but time will tell. It is hard to decide a winner between the Optimus and the Galaxy as both bring some exciting features to the table. It’s a tie as far as we are concerned, but with our personal preference leading to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

That being said, none of these tablets are reaching the hands of consumers yet – and so until then, it’s all speculation at this point. Still, with at least 55 million tablets to be sold in 2011, you can be sure that the manufacturers above are taking this very seriously.